


War of the Coprophages

by leiascully



Series: The FBI's Most Unwanted [71]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Phobias, X-Files OctoberFicFest 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leiascully/pseuds/leiascully
Summary: Neither of them had wanted to drive back from Miller's Grove smelling like shit.
Series: The FBI's Most Unwanted [71]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/249118
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	War of the Coprophages

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: 3.12 "War of the Coprophages"  
> A/N: For the Inktober prompt "ancient".

"Insects are ancient, you know," she said, toweling her hair dry as she sat on the edge of the motel bed. They'd gotten a room so that they could shower. Neither of them had wanted to drive back from Miller's Grove smelling like shit.

"Crocodiles are older," he countered, just to distract her. It might have been true. Paleontology wasn't his strongest suit.

"I'm just saying it's a fairly primal fear," she said. "Bred into us for thousands of years. Tens of thousands, maybe."

He had begun to suspect that prehistory wasn't Scully's forte either.

"You don't have to try to make me feel better," he said. He had pulled on worn jeans purchased at the thrift shop (the only store in town that hadn't turned them away) before he'd come out of the bathroom, but he was still shirtless. He dried his chest roughly and pulled a thermal t-shirt over his head. It was a little warm, but the shirt was soft and had cost a dollar. Scully sneaked a look at him. She wasn't Bambi, but she did make him feel appreciated once in a while.

"I know I don't have to," she said. She was wearing track pants and a t-shirt with a neck that scooped much lower on her chest than her usual wardrobe. "But you were afraid and you faced your fear. There's something admirable in that."

"Thank you," he said stiffly.

She sighed. "Let's go home."

"You don't want to take a nap first?" He sprawled on the bed next to her and waggled his eyebrows. "They're not gonna refund the room just because we only used it for an hour."

"You make it sound so salacious," she said disapprovingly. "And no thank you. I'd rather sleep in my own bed."

"Can't believe you don't want to experience the charms of Miller's Grove," Mulder said, yawning.

"I think the best view in some of the towns we visit is in the rearview mirror," Scully said.

"Put that in your travel guide," he told her.

"I will," she said, and went on drying her hair as he watched her through half-closed eyes.


End file.
